Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google TV is including a brand new Discover my distant function that helps you find your misplaced TV distant.
- This function is already accessible on the brand new Walmart Onn Google TV 4K Professional streaming field, nevertheless it wasn’t clear if it was unique to that machine.
- We found references to the identical Discover my distant function within the newest beta launch of Android 14 for TV, confirming the function is coming to extra Google TV gadgets sooner or later.
Google unveiled the most recent model of its Android working system for TVs, Android TV, ultimately week’s Google I/O developer convention. Android 14 for TV is coming to new Google TV gadgets, so to present builders time to arrange for the discharge, Google pushed an up to date Google TV emulator construct with the most recent adjustments they introduced final week. Whereas digging via the replace, we found references to a brand new “Discover my distant” function that’ll aid you find your misplaced Google TV distant.
TV remotes will be fairly small and simple to misplace, which is why a “Discover my distant” function has lengthy been requested by customers. When Walmart launched its new Onn Google TV 4K Professional streaming field earlier this month, early customers had been stunned to search out that it included a built-in distant finder. As reported by AFTVNews, there’s a tiny button on the entrance of the Onn Google TV 4K Professional field that, when pressed, triggers the distant finder function. The Onn’s distant will then beep and flash a tiny LED gentle for 30 seconds if it’s inside 30 ft of the streaming field.
When Walmart’s Onn Google TV 4K Professional streaming field launched, it wasn’t clear if this new “Discover my distant” function would come to different Google TV gadgets. Nevertheless, we are able to now report that this function is a part of the Google TV platform and never unique to Walmart’s machine. As I discussed earlier than, I found references to the “Discover my distant” function within the newest Android 14 for TV emulator construct. The strings I found match the function that’s already accessible on the Walmart field, suggesting Walmart’s field is solely utilizing Google TV’s new distant finder function.
Code
<string title="find_my_remote_integration_hint">When Discover my distant is enabled, you may play a sound to find your Google TV distant if it is misplaced.</string>
<string title="find_my_remote_integration_title">@string/settings_find_my_remote_title</string>
<string title="find_my_remote_play_sound">Play sound</string>
<string title="find_my_remote_slice_description">There's a button in your Google TV that you would be able to push to play a sound in your distant for 30 seconds. This solely works with supported Google TV distant controls.nnTo cease the sound, press any button in your distant.</string>Google TV’s new “Discover my distant” function will solely work with choose Google TV distant controls, nevertheless it’s not clear which of them. Clearly, you’ll want a distant that no less than has a tiny speaker for the distant finder sound to play. Your distant in all probability doesn’t have to have an LED, nevertheless it’d make it simpler to search out. Most significantly, although, your distant would have to be programmed to play the distant finder sound and/or flash its LED for 30 seconds on command. Relying in your distant, it might be potential for it to realize “Discover my distant” assist by way of a firmware replace, however I wouldn’t maintain your breath.
Talking of updates, present Google TV gadgets will seemingly have to obtain software program updates to assist the brand new “Discover my distant” function. The function will seemingly be typically accessible on new Google TV gadgets that ship with Android 14 for TVs, however many present Google TV gadgets working Android 12 for TVs seemingly have an older construct that doesn’t have the “Discover my distant” function. Though Walmart’s machine runs Android 12 for TVs, it’s additionally model new, which is probably going why it does have the function.
As soon as the “Discover my distant” function rolls out on Google TV gadgets, you’ll be capable to entry it by both urgent a button on the precise machine or by navigating to the function’s settings web page.
Code
<string title="settings_find_my_remote_description">Play a sound to find your Google TV distant if it is misplaced</string>
<string title="settings_find_my_remote_title">Discover my distant</string>I’ve personally by no means struggled with finding my distant, however I do know that is one thing that occurs to a variety of people. If Google TV’s new “Discover my distant” function can be helpful for you, tell us within the feedback under!